


Once Murdered, Twice Hunted

by C A Hobbs (BluestAzul)



Series: Embodiments [1]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe - Vampire, Dracula Influence/References, F/M, Fantasy, Fiction, Human/Vampire Relationship, Hunted Vampires, Immortality, Immortals, Origin Story, Original Character(s), Original Fiction, Romance, Sex, Vampires, Were-Creatures
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-16
Updated: 2018-10-10
Packaged: 2019-07-13 06:30:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16012223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BluestAzul/pseuds/C%20A%20Hobbs
Summary: Scarlet was use to the looks that humans and other Embodiment's alike would give her when she entered a room. From the humans it was usually looks of admiration tinged with a slight bit of weariness, a basic instinct built into them that was giving them a warning to keep their distance from a predator. From other Embodiment's it was looks of sympathy as well as alertness to her actions. After all they knew how well her Embodiment liked to be behave in the company of others. That was what prompted her to throw herself into her research, hoping to help herself and others just like her, saddled with Embodiment's to wild to be allowed in public, limiting her interactions to people down to a minimum. However, that means she was not prepared for him, waltzing into her life and her job like he owned the place and throwing her and her Embodiment for a loop. She never experienced these emotions before, and every time she is in his presence she feels like the hunted instead of the hunter for once. And what scares her more is the monster inside her likes it . . .





	1. Prequal

**Author's Note:**

> This book is a prequel leading up to a larger series so some of the references may be incomplete or not make sense yet. Thank you so much for tuning in!

_**Prologue** _

_  
_     Scarlet became aware in a rush, suddenly aware that every single nerve ending in her body was on fire. She gasped at the sharp deep pain, swaying where she stood as she tried to clench her stomach to prevent herself from vomiting violently, almost afraid it would make this pain worse. She tried to push it aside as she saw colors spark behind her closed eyes and sucked in large lung-fulls of air to try and wait it out even as darkness threatened to close in and her head felt like it was spinning even with her eyes closed. She fought it back with single minded preservation and the knowledge that if she passed out now and her body hurt this much her life was very much in danger, and adrenaline came in a headlong rush with the hard pounding of her heart, trying to feed the panic in her mind. She almost swore she could taste pennies in her mouth as if she had bit her tongue or cheek hard enough for it bleed.

    _You can do this Scarlet, you can!_

    After a moment or two the pain lessened just enough for head to stop spinning and for her stomach to stop revolting with every heaving breath she took. She gingerly moved from one foot to another, testing the waters, feeling that her muscles were still very tense but she could move without passing out or falling over if she was able. Hesitantly she pried open her eyes, finding something crusty on her lashes and on her fingers when she wiggled them as well as her toes as she took stock. She didn't immediately feel any wounds or anything that would cause the kind of pain she was feeling. Not daring to look around just yet she gave it a moment, staring straight ahead to what she could see was a house in her village, the glow from a nearby lantern casting a golden glow on it, the only light that she could see in the darkness. But the windows were dark, and that was when she realized that she could also not hear anything, no sounds of people settling down for the night or laughing in the nearby tavern as they drank the night away. The town was more silent than she could ever remember it being in her whole life, and unease drifted up her spine.

    She raised her hands to her ears, wondering what was wrong with her hearing when a flash of red on her arm caught her attention as the lantern light shone over it. Her arms froze midway, her head slowly turning to look at her arms in full, feeling her hair pull on her dress in places where it was stuck. As she stared her brain raced, trying to make out the crusty red stuff that covered the entire length of her arms as well as her hands and the hem of her dress sleeve from where she could see it out of the corner of her eye. Then, it clicked, but she shook her head in a hard denial. There was no way it was blood, no conceivable way there had to be some other explanation.

    Shaken, she looking around to see if she could see someone, anyone, to find out what was going on. Why was she just standing in the middle of the village? What had she been doing in the middle of the night? Where was everyone? As she went to move forward, no longer caring about her pain or anything else, her foot hit something solid. She tripped over it, toppling to the dirt, her arms to stiff to save herself from the fall. As she righted herself, she turned to find what she had tripped on and tried to scramble back so fast that she tripped and ending up back on the ground her back hitting the wall of a house and the back of her head knocking into it.

    Trapping her with the body.

    Finally a scream wrenched free, ringing throughout town and in her own ears as she stared at a corpse that was so mangled she could not have told it was a man or woman or even a human being. What had happened to them? Surely someone would hear her screams? Surely someone would come and help her. Anyone, please, save her from this nightmare.

 _"_ No one is left to hear your screams, Little Red Wolf, _"_ The male voice brought her ear piercing screams to a sudden end as she looked around wildly for the source of the voice. She spied him coming up the alley way just from her left, with hair as white as a fresh snow and skin to match. He was well dressed, not a single hair or piece of clothing out of the place as he held her with those piecing blue eyes. He spared the body a slight glance, but otherwise seemed unconcerned as he crouched down in front of her to offer a reassuring smile. "I'm sorry if I scared you, my name is Kris, I was sent to retrieve you."

    "Retrieve me? To go where? What happened? Why am I covered in blood? Where is everyone?" Her voice sounded hysterical even to her own ears, and her heart was now pounding so hard she thought it was going to come out of her chest. She reached out and grabbed his shirt, leaving red smears in her wake as she held onto him as hard as she could. "Why did you call me that name?I-I'm S-scarlet."

    "I have come to take you home, to your new family, people just like you and me who will understand everything you are going through. As for what happened I am sure it will come back to you at some point, I know it is always a little jumbled up for new Embodiment's, especially ones who require a death to awaken. You are covered in blood because, and I am sorry to be the one to tell you this, but you went on a rampage in your Dark State and killed everyone who did not flee you quickly enough. It was not your fault though, from what I understand your Embodiment is one who has a history of bloodshed." He spoke so casually, not even raising his voice, reaching out with his hands to clasp both of hers as if he was unaware of the blood she was covered in, his thumb fluttering over her wrist in a calming way. "I called you Little Red Wolf because you are now Little Red Riding Hood with that red hair as well as the Big Bad Wolfe rolled into one." There at the end his voice held a tinge of teasing, but she could no longer hear him over the ringing in her hears.

    "I-I killed them? What are you talking about? How could I--" She tried to release him to jerk away, but he held on tight, forcing her to look up into his face. His expression was one of sympathy but she didn't want it. Didn't want him to near her, this stranger that was telling her she had killed her village, the people she had known since birth. " You are wrong, I could never have done that. I would never." Her head shook so hard in her denial that her head began swimming again and her stomach began to roll again.

    "You are right, you couldn't have under normal circumstances and you would not have if you were in your right mind. However, you were not yourself and you were not in your right mind. Just like me, you harbor a spirit, an Embodiment of peoples beliefs, of their fears and nightmares, and when you died she was released upon your village. You were in what we called your Dark state, you could not have prevented what happened."

    "When I . . . died?" she was going numb, swaying where she sat. This didn't make sense, it couldn't make sense. But the evidence was there, wasn't it? Stained upon the very skin that this stranger was caressing so tenderly. "I'm a demon then, just like the villagers accused. I came back from the dead and murdered them in cold blood." she was going to be sick, bile raising in the back of her throat. She wasn't aware that she had looked away in shame until the stranger - Kris- gave her a small shake to bring her gaze back. She gasped to find his eyes blazing, anger clear on his face.

    "You were not a demon, especially not because of your red hair. I don't know what happened but my guess from your words is someone in this village killed you and if they did trust me honey they had this coming."

    "How could you say that, God would never punish them for killing something like me."

    "Really, cause he was the one who sent me here to fetch you."

    "What!?"

    "Never mind," he sighed heavily, finally releasing her hands, allowing them to fall numbly into her lap, and stood, looking down at her. "I came here for you, knowing that you would feel like you had no place left to go and that you would struggle to go through this transition on your own. Where I want to take you has a bunch of people just like us who go through the same struggle and I promise you they will not judge you for what you have done as they have all done things when they are not in their right minds. At this point it is in your hands, you can either come with me or you can stay here." He looked like a messenger of fate, standing there with his white hair, his body outline by the faint flow of the lantern and now bloody hand prints marring the front of his shirt. He looked strong, and honestly she was so tempted to put herself in his care, to have him take care of her, just like he promised.

    "I plan on going to die, stranger." As soon as she said it she felt ashamed. Her mother had told her to live no matter what on her death bed and she had promised she would. But she thought her mother would forgive her for this and her soul was going to hell anyway so suicide would do no harm. Something like her should not be allowed to walk this earth, Lord only knew what she would do if left to her own devices.

    "I'm sorry to break it to you but you will find it very hard to kill yourself. The Embodiment that brought you back made you basically immortal. Normal means will not kill you, you would have to experiment and I doubt you would be able to go through the pain of many failed attempts." She wanted to disbelieve him, but he sounded so sure she found herself give a hysterical laugh in response, finding her mind becoming more and more foggy with every fact he gave to her.   

    _I'm in shock_ she realized with a jolt.

    "Okay, stranger," her voice was already barley a whisper. "I'll go wherever you lead, for now." This time when the darkness came she embraced it, hoping when she woke it was a dream, just a terrible dream. Before she went out for good she felt Kris catch her before she could hit the ground, surrounding her in the scent of ever green and the crisp smell of rain. She didn't know how she would react when she awoke, only knew that she was never so happy to not be awake . . .

    Until she found herself dreaming of her death . . .

 


	2. Chapter One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This book is a prequel leading up to a larger series so some of the references may be incomplete or not make sense yet. Thank you so much for tuning in!

**Chapter One**

    "You said that we are Embodiment's, is that correct?" Scarlet asked as she sat across from Kris in their carriage, on their way to only god knew where. She had asked Kris multiple times but he had been vague or just plain refused to answer. She found it incredibly frustrating, feeling like her future was no longer her own, and she did not have the knowledge or resources in order to take a hold of it herself. So here she was, sitting in a fancy dress with way to many layers to it and shoes that hurt her feet even though she was sitting and a corset that must surely be made for torture. She had decided it was best to bend to Kris's wishes, for now.

    "Correct." He was absentmindedly looking out the window, and she could tell his mind was elsewhere, though she could only guess where.

    "I know you stated that it was a . . ." she searched for the words he had used but came up with nothing.

    "Manifestation," he supplied, as he threw her a small grin. It eased some of her embarrassment, as he seemed to understand that she had not been in the place or the correct gender for the people in her village to consider educating her. She had always been eager to learn, so she paid close attention when Kris was willing to offer aid.

    "Manifestation," she echoed, testing the word on her tongue before she forged ahead. "A manifestation of peoples beliefs and fears. How does that work?"

    "We aren't really sure. All we know is that if enough people believe in something, then it can become an Embodiment. Unfortunately that means that Embodiment's can be skewed by what is most believed at a time. Which means that while your Embodiment may be one way now that can change as the times do and stories are spread and elaborated on."

    "And the . . . thing inside me?" she placed a hand over her chest where she occasionally felt a stirring sensation that was unsettling but Kris explained was normal and she would grow used to with time. "Do you know what it is?"

    "From what I have been told your Embodiment is non other than Countess Elizabeth Báthory de Ecsed. She was a well known serial killer in Hungary who died in 1614 after being locked away for her crimes." He finally turned away from the window to look at her, a sympathy creasing his features. "There is wild speculation on the numbers of women she killed, or what she did with the bodies. However, one of the most believed is that she bathed in the blood of young maidens in order to keep her youth, as well as drinking their blood and torturing them. It has quickly De-evolved and she has become known as the female Dracula." His pale blue eyes caught the shudder that went through her at the name. "Ah, so him you know."

    "My mother told me the stories when I was younger. Apparently she used to travel a lot before she had me. I have to say the information you are supplying me is not very promising or encouraging. You are basically telling me I am housing a well known female murderer who feasts on her victims, correct?" before he could answer she gasped, the color draining from her face and she clutched her stomach like she was suddenly ill. "The villagers, I ate them, didn't I? That is why I thought I tasted blood. I did, but it wasn't mine, was it?" Kris stared back at her in silence, which was to her more than enough confirmation. "Stop the carriage," she gasped out as she was already reaching for the handle to the door. Thankfully Kris called out to the driver quickly and the carriage had slowed as she stumbled down the steps into the bright sunlight and into the grass on the side of the road, where she promptly fell to her knees and vomited. Her eyes burned, but she found that no matter what she did she couldn't shed a single tear. She found herself wondering now if that because her mothers death had broken something inside her or if her Embodiment had already twisted her.

    "I'm sorry," he whispered as she felt his hand sooth along her back, trying to comfort her.

    "How did I even become like this?" she bit out when her stomach finally stopped heaving, leaving behind the distinct taste of acid in her mouth as well as the smell of it before the summer wind blew it away.

    "Embodiment's are given in one of two ways. The first way is that the Embodiment has to be placed into a dead body, and the second is that the Embodiment is planted inside of a women who then has a chance of passing it onto her children."

    "And mine?" when he didn't respond she turned to look up at his face, and she got her answer. She found herself giving a slight hysterical laugh. "So that means I have already died, doesn't it?" To top off today's new she had once been a corpse.

    "Yes, though how the Embodiment came to be paired with you is a story I don't even know. For that you would have to meet with the council, the oldest and most powerful Embodiment's that walk among us. They always meet with newly awakened Embodiment's, so your time will come."

    "Until then?" she pressed, trying to find something to hold onto, something that would give her an idea on where her life would be heading.

    "Until then," he sighed, seeming to finally give in. "Until then we are going to one of my estates where you have teachers waiting."

    "Teachers?" even with her stomach rolling she couldn't keep the interest out of her voice. He gave a nod before he ran a hand through his hair, messing it up for the first time since they had been in each others company.

    "Yes, Embodiment's do not judge between male or female, as Embodiment's do not care who they inhabit. Plus, we tend to live a long time and some of our strongest leaders are women. You will be taught everything that we know and the mortals know, from English to Science, History to Writing." Gently he grabbed her wrist, drawing to her feet as he also stood, holding her gaze hard, not giving her any choice but to stare back. "But I will warn you now, this is not an easy road. Each Embodiment has what we call a quirk, something you are going to have to do in order to keep her satisfied enough to prevent her from fighting you. We wont know what it is until it hits you, but whatever it is we will get through it, you have me and our entire community as a support system you can use at any time. You can hate her as much as you want, that is perfectly fine, she is controllable to a large extent. But you will have what we also call Dark Moments, times when she will break free in be in control of your body. You will learn her as much as she learns you and you can begin to predict when she will snap the restraints you hold her under." they were quiet for a moment and her eyes burned again, so many things swirling in her mind once again she didn't know if she could ever sort them out.

    "I'm ready to head out," she said quietly, overwhelmed by the amount of support he was offering to her with open hands, no questions asked. Why? Is her world no one offered something for free, but so far she could see no catch. Kris gave a nod, the sun kissing his face and reminding her of how shockingly handsome he really was. But she felt no attraction, would she be limited to women as her Embodiment preferred? So much to figure out but she guessed she had years to do it. But as she took a step towards the carriage, Kris still in possession of her arm, she froze. That feeling in her chest was back with a vengeance, feeling like someone had put a fist into her chest and was twisting it, it stung and burned.

    "Kris," she whispered, feeling the blood rush out her face again as she looked up into his shocked face. "I don't feel so we--" and she knew nothing more.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two**

 

 

    Scarlet jolted awake, looking wildly around as she tried to make sense of where she was. As she took in the familiar look of her lab the grip of her dream began to fade and she gave her head a hard shake, trying to calm the crazy pounding of her heart. She rubbed her hands over her face wearily, not feeling even slightly rested after the memories she had relived and wondered at what point she had dozed off. She pushed her chair out slightly, the sound of the wheels rolling on the concrete floor the only noise in the otherwise silent room. When she went to stand she found something odd feeling under her foot, and looked down to find a blanket that must have draped her while she slept and must have fell when she jolted away. She frowned at it, looking around her lab and realizing the bright lights had also been turned off, only the glow from some of the machines giving off light. 

    How long had she been asleep? She didn't need to guess who had turned off the lights and covered her instead of waking her, and Luke would know she had not left for home in the last couple of weeks, working like a women on the brink of madness.

    _Queen of hearts got nothing on me_ she thought with a shake of her head, picking up the blanket and draping it over the metal counter top, only then seeing the sheet of paper that was laying nearby. Frowning, she picked it up, only to sigh as she realized that Luke had also finished the last leg of the experiment while she slept and printed the results.

    She really needed to take the guy hunting in thanks soon. The bloodier the better.

    Carefully she looked over the paper in the dim light, her lips forming a tight line as she got to the last line of the and she crumbled it up and threw it across the room in frustration. How could she make such great strides for her people and then just get stumped on something like this? She sank back into her chair, wondering if maybe she should go home and try to get some actual sleep. But all she kept dreaming about were memories from the past, and while the idea of taking something to just knock her out so she could not dream at all was tempting it could also open up the gateway for Elizabeth to take over while she would be none the wiser.

    Groaning, she rested her forearms on the counter top and laid her head on top of them as a barrier from the cold. She wondered constantly why she was dreaming about the past, and had come no closer to that answer than any other. Sometimes she thought maybe Elizabeth did it to torment her to the point of her defenses weakening. The memory of that carriage ride so long ago was one she tried to avoid thinking about, for it was when she came to realization that Elizabeth did not care for anyone, not even other Embodiments. When she came to from blacking out, she found herself cradled in Kris's arms, laying on the ground, both him and her covered in blood. For a moment she could only stare up at him, aware the sun had began to set and much time had passed, mesmerized as the setting sun set the blood in his white blond hair alight like a living flame. She could taste the blood in her mind, and while she wanted to feel sick to her stomach, to vomit whatever was there, she felt oddly . . . lethargic. 

    She pressed her fingers into her eyes, wanting to burn the images away as the flashed in her mind.

    _"What did I do, Kris?" she was almost afraid of the answer, afraid of what she had done that could make her body into a stranger, relaxed in a way it had never been, the remnants of pleasure humming in her body, in her blood, slowly fading away as the horror was trying to creep back in._

_"One moment you were you, and the next Elizabeth was in control. She went after the carriage driver first, he was no match for her and thankfully he met a quick end."_

_"First?" she croaked, realizing that didn't explain why he was covered in blood._

_Why there was so much._

_She jolted upright, struggling to her feet, swaying as she did but pushing away Kris when he tried to assist her. They faced each other in the dwindling light, and she could not find a single sign of blame on his face. Not even pity. Just acceptance. Here she was, disgusted with herself, sure she had done something to him that no other person could ever forgive, but he harbored nothing against her. The sudden realization should have brought tears to her eyes, but once again they only burned like hell and no tears formed._

_"What else did I do."_

_"Nothing."_

_"Do not feed me that, Kris. You said first I went for the man, what did I do after that."_

_"That is what I have been trying to explain to you all this time but you are not listening to me. You and Elizabeth are not the same person. You are not her and she is not you. You inhabit the same body, breathe the same air and consume the same things but that does not make you one in the same. Some people are one with their Embodiments, usually holders of something that is not a person but something more elemental. Such as Madness, Mother Nature, Death, Hope. These things do not have a face, they do not have a life, so they merge seamlessly with their host. You do not do that. For the finale time_   **you have done nothing**. _" The last part was said with such emphasis she latched onto the words, like it was a lantern in the dark of night, the only source to keep her form falling off into insanity._

_But she couldn't could she? If she did, Elizabeth won. This monster of a women would have full control to consume and ruin._

_  
_     Screw you, Bitch.

    _She forced a nod, meeting his gaze straight on, putting her shoulders back and forcing herself to take a breath. She had done nothing wrong, she was not Elizabeth, and she WOULD find a semblance of control of the madness and prevent her from emerging if she could._

_"What else did she do then. I have a right to know."_

_"Of course you do, after she went for the human she tried to take off into the woods, and I caught her. She turned on me and managed to get her fangs into my throat. She thought she could take me out and get away, but I do believe she was quiet surprised when I did not go down and I broke her neck instead." At that he paused, grimacing. "And sorry about that. I know it wouldn't kill you and it was a surefire way to subdue you for the time being. You may have a stiff neck for the next couple of days."_

_"Wait, you broke my neck?" Hadn't he said that she would have issues killing herself?_

_"Yes, I did tell you that you were harder to kill. A simple broken neck is not going to take you out." Yet another realization her mind seemed to reel around. But she wasn't going to be a wilting flower and try to shrink from the information. She was done feeling that way, it was time for things to change. She knew it would take time, but it was best to start now._

_"Right, of course you did." she waved her hand in the general direction of where she assumed the mans body was, on the other side of the carriage where she couldn't see it. "Do we need to do something with him?"_

_"No, I have already taken care of it." He was giving her a strange look and she tried not to show how much of a relief it was._

_"Okay, so then onward then, correct? To your house?" There was moment of silence between them as they locked gazes, and then he broke out into a smile, a full blown smile that took her breath away._

_"Of course, as the lady has spoken, onward."_

_  
_     When her and Kris had arrived at his estate it was as he had promised. Tutors from any subject she wanted to learn came to teach her and she absorbed all of the knowledge like a dry sponge. The deeper and deeper she got though she found she had taken a liken to science and chemistry, especially when finding out how useful it was in most aspects of life. If the morning she would sit across the table from Kris as they ate their breakfast and she would talk about her theories, running them past him to see what he thought. He was well educated, of course, and could easily hold his own. Eventually though, as the years went on and she got deeper and deeper into the topic, picking up the new information as it came out and using the new tech, she surpassed him. Though she didn't want to admit it, she had began to feel closed in, and while she had experienced a lot of the world in the years that had passed Kris had been away for longer and longer and she found that she was no longer satisfied staying at the house. Times has begun to change, women could own property in the human world now to, they could work, they were starting to get a say. But as the market for product grew and grew she began to realize that not only where a lot of these things complicated to a unnecessary degree but they were missing a lot of essential components and a lot would not work for Embodiments.  

    She had written to Kris, explaining what she wanted to do, she wanted to start her own company that would focus on the needs of the Embodiment population. Everything from painkillers to birth control. Kris had given his blessing in full, as she knew he would, and offered to back her 100 percent if she ever needed it. She had made her own money along the way, so she had declined, but it was a good feeling knowing that he and his Embodiment were backing her, it meant she could not fail.

    So she had began looking for people to fill in on the roles she was not well versed in. Office and staff management, as well as food, distribution, marketing, as well as other people like herself who were experts in the fields she lacked. She had been shocked at how many had responded to her calls for positions to be filled, and quickly her company had grown and gained a reputation. A lot of people who worked her had Embodiments like her own, ones who were slightly unpredictable, who could not be let lose in public. But they also took in people who were new to their Embodiments, and they found that being around people of their own kind helped them come to terms with it easier when the people around them understood every struggle. They also had a medical section here, and it was used to the fullest extent. So much so she found she was going to have to expand soon . . .

   The doors to the lab opened, emitting a soft whoosh as they did, which startled her out of her memory. She leaned back in her chair to peek around the corner, giving a wane smile to Luke as he came towards her.

   "Thank you for finishing the experiment, bummer the results are a negative." she tried not to sound as dissapointed as she felt. She had been working for years now on a way to suppress Emodiments, and so far no luck.

    "It's fine, I was coming to get you for breakfast but I found you asleep with your machine beeping madly, so I figured I could finish it and let you sleep." Eyes the color of toasted hazel nuts pinned her with a glare. "Because obviously you haven't been resting the way you should." She simple nodded, not willing to tell him about the memories. She hadn't even told Kris, and to this date that guy was her brother through and through. She studied Luke while she tried to appear like she wasn't tuning him out as he had launched into a lecture about her health, and as always she had to hide a smile at how much this guy suited his Embodiment. He was tall, around 6'1, with broad shoulders but a very sleek frame. His features were sharp and so very . . . wolf like. Even his hair which he kept cut into a military cut suited him well. And when something was important to him, he was like a dog with a bone.

   She couldn't hide the laugh that bubbled up at the last thought, and immediately tired to hide it when he glowered.

    "And what exactly is so funny?" He snarled, and she gave a raised brow at how testy he seemed to be today.

    "I think the real question is how long has it been since you went for a hunt, my wolfy friend?" Luke was quiet literally a were wolf. He had originally started as just a man who had become a wolf on nights of the full moon, free to run the forests and trails where he lived. But as times changed, and media became a big thing, the image of a werewolf had changed to a half man half wolf. And Luke was subject to belief just as the rest of them were and his Embodiment had become to dangerous to allow him to run. They had miles of heavily fortified acreage around the business, as well as security every where, and through very careful tests they had found that as long his were wolf had something to hunt he was no interested in escaping. An alternate was that if Luke felt he was a danger he had a fortified room he could lock himself in before the change, and he could only let himself out after he changed back. The room itself was not tiny, and was big enough that small prey could be released into it as well. Unfortunately, his were wolf did not take it the same, it wanted to run and be free and it took a toll on him if he didn't let it outside for a long length of time.

   Scarlet hadn't brought it up to him, but she thought that may change soon as the public image had once again begun to change and were wolfs were no longer single minded or as beastly. She knew she would just have to keep her eye out and catch it at the first sign of trouble.

    Instead of answering, Luke turned on his heel to begin walking away from her, throwing "Time of lunch," over his shoulder. She gave a sigh and rolled her eyes at his moody behavior before she stood once more, stretching her arms over her head until she heard bones pop, relishing in the stretch of her body and then lightly jogged after him, his larger legs eating up more distance than her shorter ones. Immediately he slowed to keep pace with her, and she wanted to throw him a grin but just kept her gaze straight ahead. 

    By the time they walked into the large cafeteria Luke had calmed completely as he led the way towards the food where it sat already made, kept in little sections in the wall with a clear door that they only had to pull open to take the plate out. There was always a large selection, and some of them had labels for certain people with certain diet needs.

    People like her.

    Inside the food cubby with her name on it there was also a steel thermos that she pulled out with her meal. As her and Luke sat at their tablet she pushed the thermos to the side with the tip of her finger, finding she was unwilling to partake in the beverage inside. Kris had explained to her that each Embodiment had what they called a tick, something that the human was forced to do due to being paired with the Embodiment. It was something that they could not prevent themselves from doing, it was a compulsion, but it also helped sooth their Embodiment's enough that they were not fighting to be free. Luke's tick was that he had to consume raw meat at some point during the day, and when he was stressed out, as he was now, he would consume more. Kris had to have a spouse at all times, which gave the female involved a longer life span, but Kris tended to approach it as a business deal, no feeling involved, and to this day she had no known him to have feelings for any of his wives.

    And Scarlets?

    She had to consume blood in some shape or form. She had found it easiest to get the intake she needed, no matter how much it was, in drink form mixed with something else. Cookie, the cook here, took care of the drink mixture for her and made sure it was delicious enough that Scarlet was usually okay with sipping away. Today though she found her stomach twisting as she glared at the thermos like it were going to attack her. Why was she so reluctant? Its not like not drinking it punished Elizabeth, Scarlet was the one who suffered the consequences. So why?

    Before she could analyze it further she realized that Luke was starting at her. Hard core, no blinking. She didn't turn to look at him, pretending she didn't see him she took the thermos in hand and unscrewed the lid before she chugged some and replaced the lid. She then turned to her meal without comment and ate quickly in silence, hating that she felt so out of sorts, so unstable.

    An unstable her was a bad thing.

    When she finished her meal she snatched up the drink and stood, leaving her plate on the table, knowing Luke would get it for her as she left the room. As soon as she had turned the corner and was sure that Luke was not bounding up behind her she slowed her pacing, looking down at the thermos clutched in her hands. Was she having a midlife crisis? What even was midlife for someone who could potentially live forever?  No, she was just tired, that was all. Surely she could find something to help her sleep, even for a little while. She hadn't tried alcohol, that might work with her fast metabolism. 

    Since she was looking where she was going when she rounded the corner to her lab she ran smack into someone. She lost her balance for a moment, dropping thermos. The lid came off as it hit the ground, spilling everywhere, and even as her supernatural grace had her take a single step back to keep her balance she slipped on the liquid and suddenly found herself on her butt on the floor in her own blood tea. Her hands were wet with it, she could feel it soaking into the fabric of her butt and legs, and for a rare moment she wanted to kick the leg of the whoever the hell had run into her.

    Okay, okay, who she ran into.

    "Wow, sorry, are you okay?" the deep timber of the voice sent a shiver up her spine, it was one she wasn't familiar with and she snapped her gaze up to find a man she did not know offering her a land to let her up. For a moment she could only stare, taking in his features that were rugged but oddly made him very attractive. He had a scar that was at the right side of the mouth, a straight line downward that she found intrigued her. His eyes were a shocking shade of cobalt blue and his hair was as black as coal, long enough to touch his ears with a slight wave to it. Even on the floor as she was she knew when she stood he would tower over her, which was hard since she came in at a proud 5'4, but why had she never noticed when Luke did as well? His shoulders were wide and unlike where Luke was sleek, he was built with muscle.

    "Uh, are you okay, Mrs?"

   _Oh god, im staring, im a creeper._

   "Oh, yes, sorry!" she ignored his hand and scrambled to her feet, looking down at the puddle on the floor to asses the mess but also to give her a reason to look away as he was studying her face as intently as she had studied his. She suddenly found herself wondering when the last time she had brushed her hair was, and did she look like crap from not sleeping? Finally though she could avoid it no longer and looked back up at him, finding her mouth was suddenly dry. What was this response? Was she attracted? Surely she wasn't, but she could not explain away this feeling. "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention to where I was going, I didn't mean to run into you." She swore to the Gods her heart skipped a beat when he threw a grin.

    "That's not a problem, I wasn't paying attention either. I don't believe we have met yet though. Scarlet, right? The head scientist here." When she nodded, as she couldn't speak yet, he held out his hand again to shake hers. "Name's Will, I am your new lab assistant."

    _Wait! What? MY lab assistant? Seriously? Karma, go suck a fat one._

    "Oh, of course, I forget that Lizy stated she had found someone to fill the role. I wasn't aware she would be bringing you on so quickly, either." Oddly enough though, she found she could feel something was off about him, something she could not quiet put her finger on. She shook the feeling away, as well as her attraction, trying to look like a strong boss that she hoped she pulled off. "Either way, I am glad, I could use the help. So tell me, Will, what are you saddled with?" She always asked that question, always liked hearing about others Embodiment's, hearing their struggles and triumph. But a foreboding feeling starting creeping in when she noticed his odd expression. "What?"

    "Sorry, I am just not sure what you are asking. What am I straddled with?" Then suddenly understanding dawned on his face and she thought _oh okay, bullet dodged_ , but then he spoke again. "You mean job wise right? They didn't tell me much of what I would be doing outside of the lab, if that is what you mean. Is this that type of place where we duel it? I have worked for a couple of companies like that." But Scarlet couldn't respond. She could only stare. Because shit. Holy fucking shit.

    Who the hell brought the human into a lions den!

 

 

 

**Hey guys sorry for the missed chapters. I will be doing another update Friday and then I will be getting back in schedule an update Sunday, thanks for reading, feel free to leave a comment!**

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my content consider buying me a coffee at buymeacoff.ee/i6eodBLk5, and make sure to leave a comment there if you do! I will be putting a personal thank you in the next chapter so keep a look out! The more coffee I have the more I can write! I will be updating once or twice a week, either Sunday or Monday.


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